The Great California Shake Out

Are you ready to Drop, Cover and Hold on?  Mark your calenders for 10/20 at 10:20AM for the next installment of the Great California Shake Out.  This is an annual quake drill on a statewide level and there is much going on in L.A. for the event.  Not signed up yet to participate?  There is time to do so on their web page HERE.

Its been over 17 years since our last big quake here in L.A. (Northdridge 1994 to be precise).  Many here don’t remember the shaking or waiting for sometimes days for water and power to be restored.  The Shake Out is about more than just riding out the shaking, its about preparing to be a survivor in the time one waits for help to arrive.  Their 7 Steps are outlined in their web.  In short be prepared to be on your own until help arrives.For me October Shake Out prep involves going back through the Earthquake kit, updating food, batteries and water that have gone stale over the last year. Read the rest of this entry →

I recently posted about CERT training in LA and here’s a gentle reminder that now’s the time to get started. There are a ton of classes starting up this week. Actually for some places Monday was the first class but my Google Alert got piled in a bunch of emails so hey, better late than never eh? If you missed the first class you can make it up later so no reason to not jump in. I’m going to be going to the Woodland Hills training so if anyone reading this can make it, say hello! The online calendar is a little out of date so I contacted them this morning and they sent me the up to date full class schedule.

With all the brouhaha going on across the world it’s time to remind all of us Angelino’s that we’re living on top of a ticking time bomb and we all should do our parts to be prepared. A few years ago a bunch of the Blogging.la crew went out and got CERT training. For the un-initiated, CERT stands for Community Emergency Response Team and the training is provided free of charge to everyone 18 and older living in the city of Los Angeles.

Local government prepares for everyday emergencies. However, during a disaster, the number and scope of incidents can overwhelm conventional emergency services. The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program is an all-risk, all-hazard training. This valuable course is designed to help you protect yourself, your family, your neighbors and your neighborhood in an emergency situation.

CERT is a positive and realistic approach to emergency and disaster situations where citizens may initially be on their own and their actions can make a difference. While people will respond to others in need without the training, one goal of the CERT program is to help them do so effectively and efficiently without placing themselves in unnecessary danger.

The course is one day a week for seven weeks with a total of 17.5 hours training time. In the classes you’ll learn to:

• Manage utilities and put out small fires,
• Treat the three medical killers by opening airways, controlling
• Bleeding, and treating for shock,
• Provide basic medical aid,
• Search for and rescue victims safely,
• Organize themselves and spontaneous volunteers to be effective,
  and collect disaster intelligence to support first responder efforts.

I missed the initial classes but now that I’m back in LA I’m getting my training at the first available class. If this sounds like something you’re into (and it should be dammit) check their calendar for a class near you! You can also peruse the class manual online.

While this doesn’t directly relate to Los Angeles, I don’t really care. Unless you’ve been living under a rock the last 24 hours, you know some serious shit went down in Japan. Stuff that could easily happen here in Los Angeles. YOU can help. Donate to the Red Cross. There’s a direct link HERE. You’re welcome to click on the Japan tab, but remember there’s bad things happening elsewhere. Why not make a general donation? The money will go where it’s needed most.

C’mon. Skip the Starbucks once and spend that money to help those in need. Who knows? It could be you seeking out the Red Cross after a huge quake here. Wouldn’t you want them to have enough supplies for you?

I do, and its not far from where I live.  40 years ago this week was the San Fernando Quake that caused extensive damage and some loss of life here in LA.  As a result of that quake legislation was pass requiring you to disclose earthquake faults near or on your property when you sold it.

The California Geological Survey has had the task forever of mapping those surface faults that put homes and humans at risk. Up until this week you had to either buy their CD or paper maps to get the information.  Now you can download the forms in PDF format, if only out of morbid curiosity, to find what faults are near your home.  The link to the CGS site HERE. Metro Los Angeles is covered in the maps.  Although the map isn’t labeled by street, it does drill down to street level when mapping out the known surface fault lines.

Of course knowing where the faults around you is half the battle.  The bigger one we seem to get lax with is quake preparedness…check out CA Shakeout for more information on how to prepare for quakes, especially big ones.

Not a biggy, but a reminder to be ready for the big one when it comes.  Details on the little shaker HERE.  Info on how to prepare your space  HERE.

Across LA businesses, schools and even those at home are planning to “drop, cover and hold on” in the biggest Earthquake Drill yet planned for CA.  Just in case you are unsure what to do here are a few video’s on what  to do should the big one hit.  There’s even a good video talking with those that remember the Northridge Quake and what not to do when a big quake starts with a little redundancy of the message “Drop, cover and hold on”.

There is still time to register as a participant at The Great California Shake Out, do so HERE.

Hat tip to commenter “bentien” over at USC for the most current videos on the topic.

Ready for the big one? Practice with me and another nearly 7 Million Californians on 10/21 at 10:21AM. Its easy, sign up with The Great California Shake Out and follow the simple instructions to participate HERE.

Looking for more than participating in the drill? They have the resources available to help you organize a drill in your home or office. Their website HERE.

Still looking for more. The Los Angeles Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is looking for some regular folks to step up and be ready to help out in a catastrophe. You can visit their web site for information on how to sign up, take FREE classes and be ready to help the community out when the big one hits.

Check out LA Moves web site for more quake information that is Los Angeles Specific. Their site is being constantly updated with local information and activities. They have a big event planned to coincide with next years Shake Out.

Got your earthquake kit for your home completed? I check mine twice yearly and toss out the old stuff and put in new. That includes both food stuff and batteries for the flashlights. Do you have your own personal quake kit for your cars (water, snack bars, blanket, flashlight and first aid kit)? What about for at work? If you work in an office environment where dress shoes or pumps are de rigueur do you have some tenny runners to swap out to for the long walk to a shelter or home?

For you newbies to LA who haven’t been in a real quake yet do you know what to do? This short vid from the ’08 Shake out still applies.  Youtube HERE.


And just for a reminder as to what to expect when the big one hits this Youtube video from last years simulates the shaking intensity from epicenter in the desert to LA just to prepare you for what to expect when a large quake strikes. Youtube HERE.

I first suspected an earthquake might have been happening when I felt a tiny shaking while I was sitting at my desk.  Then some stronger shaking occurred and I looked at my Twitter stream.  All my friends in L.A. were tweeting “EARTHQUAKE.” It was good as confirmed.

Of course, it’s not really confirmed until a seismologist at USGS has reviewed the quake findings:

Magnitude 5.4 – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Date-Time Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 23:53:33 UTC
Wednesday, July 07, 2010 at 04:53:33 PM at epicenter

Location 33.417°N, 116.483°W
Depth 11.7 km (7.3 miles)
Region SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 22 km (13 miles) NNW (332°) from Borrego Springs, CA
23 km (14 miles) SE (131°) from Anza, CA
33 km (20 miles) NE (52°) from Lake Henshaw, CA
41 km (25 miles) SW (215°) from Indio, CA
45 km (28 miles) S (174°) from Palm Springs, CA
94 km (58 miles) NE (41°) from San Diego, CA

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters Nph=122, Dmin=10 km, Rmss=0.26 sec, Gp= 29°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=4

Don’t forget to fill out the “Did you feel it?” shake survey and check out the Shake Map!

This has been a public service announcement. Thanks to Estevan for the heads up.

Was sitting in my OC office, on a conference call when people stopped discussions to comment on the 5.3 aftershock at 9:44am (was previously reported as a 5.5).

I guess it’s a good time to post another screenshot from the USGS, which depicts the 7.2 quake over the weekend + a bunch of aftershocks since then.

Did you feel it? Fill out the survey!

- Magnitude 5.1 – SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA – 2010 April 04 23:15:20 UTC (1 mile south/southwest of Imperial, Calif)

- Magnitude 4.5 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO – 2010 April 04 23:09:49 UTC (32 miles west/southwest of Mexicali)

UPDATE: Revisions below:

-Magnitude 4.8 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO – 2010 April 04 23:09:38 UTC

-Magnitude 5.2 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO – 2010 April 04 23:15:14 UTC

-Magnitude 5.4 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO – 2010 April 04 23:25:09 UTC

-Magnitude 4.7 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO – 2010 April 04 23:37:32 UTC

-Magnitude 5.1 – SONORA, MEXICO – 2010 April 05 00:07:11 UTC

L.A. folks, did you feel the 6.9 7.2 quake?

-According to @ABC7: Disneyland security reports that all rides are shut down and some people are trapped in elevators after the quake.. UPDATE: Disneyland rides still shut down but no one stuck in elevators as initially reported http://bit.ly/aa4Nci

-On-air and live streaming coverage on ABC7

Here’s an updated quake map/screenshot as of Sunday, April 4, 2010 at 06:34:26 PM (PDT) – Pacific

Felt it here in L.A. as a slow shaking. (I was busy playing Wii and didn’t realize there was a quake until Yoshi told me twice that the building was shaking. And it wasn’t until I stopped playing and stood up that I realized that we were STILL swaying.)

You?

Screenshot taken from USGS:

UPDATE: USGS Upgraded the quake from 6.9 to 7.2
Here is the preliminary quake info:
Magnitude 6.9 7.2 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

Magnitude 6.9 7.2
Date-Time

* Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 22:40:39 UTC
* Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 03:40:39 PM at epicenter

Location 32.093°N, 115.249°W 32.128°N, 115.303°W
Depth 32.3 km (20.1 miles) 10 km (6.2 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO

Distances
* 26 km (16 miles) SSW (211°) (225°) from Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico
* 6160 km (38 miles) SW (227°) (165°) from San Luis Río Colorado, Sonora, Mexico
* 6462 (40 38 miles) SW (225°) (233°) from San Luis, AZ
* 173 167 km (108 104 miles) ESE (106°) 105° from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.8 km (3.6 miles); depth +/- 21.1 km (13.1 miles) horizontal +/- 2.4 km (1.5 miles); depth +/- 31.6 km (19.6 miles)

As always, here’s the shake map and intensity map for this event and don’t forget to fill out the survey if you felt it.

So, there was an earthquake this morning. It woke me up but didn’t get me out of bed. Apparently it woke a lot of other people up too; the tweetosphere was abuzz with hashmarks in front of the word “earthquake.” My favorite tweet? From @mattngyuyenn, simply: “Who farted?”

The deets: 4.4, hit at 4:04 AM (numerologists take note), epicenter was Pico Rivera-ish. Looking around the web, it seems like nobody was hurt. Here are the data from the United States Geological Survey.

The upshot: Not too severe, but half the city, having felt the earthquake, looked at their alarm clocks and said, “ah, the hell with it, I’ll just get up,” will get really, really tired at around 2:00 in the afternoon today. So be aware of this if you’re driving or near heavy equipment at that time.

Alongside the headlines of the horrific devastation of the Haitian earthquake are the headlines about how “digital fundraising” is providing a rapid flow of dollars, showing the importance of technology in providing new avenues for relief efforts.

For anyone who is technologically-minded, and even those who are not, if you want to lend your hand to a good cause, you should check out CrisisCamp Haiti in LA tomorrow at USC. CrisisCamps are hosted in a barcamp style where great minds come together to share their knowledge and expertise for social good.

This Saturday, the USC Annenberg School will be hosting CrisisCampHaiti Los Angeles to bring together volunteers to collaborate on technology projects which aim to assist in Haiti’s relief efforts by providing data, information, maps and technical assistance to NGOs, relief agencies and the public. Chad Catacchio will be leading up a team.

Project Proposals for CrisisCamp Haiti
1. Base layer map for Port Au Prince: This project would create a new collection of imagery and a new base map for NGOs and relief agencies. Post available imagery to share with the public for open source applications.
2. Family locator systems: Uniting efforts of interested technologists, developers and communications experts to provide technical assistance.
3. Tech Volunteer Skill Matrix/Volunteers: Create a role of volunteer as well as
4. Managing News Aggregator: Provide content channel management to coordinate data feeds
5. Defining the Collective: Create what we are and why we are doing this. Coordinate and post historical timeline/archive for the CrisisCamp efforts.

This will also been happening in London, Washington D.C., Denver, and Northern California.

h/t: Browyn on the BarCampLA list